Percussion-fuse for projectiles.



K. WIESER. PERCUSSION FUSE FOB PRUJEGTILES.

APPLIOATIOH FILED our. 10, 1910.

Patented Sept. 9, 1913.

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KARL wrnsnn,

lVmsnn, a sub- Y jet-t of the Emperor of Germany, and a resi dent 'o'f Bredeney, Germany, have invented certain' fnew and useful Improvements in Poreuss'i'on-Fuses for Projectiles, of which the following is a specification.

" 'ihe present invention relates to percuss'ion fuses, suitable for projectiles used in I firing against balloons, and wherein the fuse is PI'OVlClGd with a lightly movable part pro-' trudim be 0nd the outer limiting surface of I b the fuse body, the movement of which part produces the ignition, and with a safety-de-- vice preventing movement of said part by the action of the inertia on firing, said device being adapted to be automatically released when the projectile commences its flight,

The object of the invention is to provide a fuse of this kind distinguished by having considerably greater sensitiveness than those at present known.

In the drawing is shown one, way of carrying out the present invention on a fuse,

'where the light movin fuse Jart )ro'ecting beyond the outer limiting surface of the fuse-body, is operated upon by a cheekbrake, which, during the flight of the shot, prevents the light moving partfrom starting its movement, under influence of the air pressure, which movement would produce the ignition. F uses of this kind are, for instance described in U. S. Letters Patent No. 988,610, dated April 4, 1911.

The accompanying drawing shows in Figure 1, a longitudinal section through the fuse-axis; and in Fig. 2, atop-plan View thereof.

The fuse-part, extending beyond the outer limiting surface of the fuse-body, is providedwith a shaft'A, which is movable in the direction of the axis of the fuse, and is operated upon by a cheek-brake, the l rake of which comprises levers or catches 1-5. The shaft it carries utl its outer end a mushroom-shaped hood or cap a, which, as men-. tioned above, constitutes the arch faced head of the easily movable fuse part. This hood is provided with a plurality of small round openings 44 which permit of free passage for the air during the flight of the projectile. The body A a may suitably be made of very light material as aluminum or Wood, so that its inertia would be small. In the transporting state of the fuse the shaft A is inter- Specification of Letters Patent.

OF BEEDENEY. GERldANY, ASSIGNOR, T0 FRIED. KRU'PP AKIIEN- GESELLSCHAFT, OF ESSEN-ON-THE-RUHR, GEBIVIAN Y. I I

PERCUSSION-FUSE FOB. PROJEGTILES.

Patented Sept. 9,1913.

Application filed octoberlh, 1910.. Serial No. 586,272.

locked by a well-known safety-device C, described for instance in U. S. Letters Patent F0. 988,610, dated April 4, 1911, said safetydevice simultaneously preventing movement of the shaft on firing by the action of inertia and being adapted to be automatically released, when the projectile commences its flight. During the flight of the projectile the shaft is held stationary in the fuse by the pinching of the forward jaws of the levers 13 around a shoulder on the shaft A caused by the centrifugal force. The rearward jaws of levers B simultaneously engage a collar on the plunger, holding it back against the pressure of a spring. In striking the object, the shaft A moves inwardly, under impact with the target, releases the cheek-brake levers B which then fly outward by centrifugal force, releasing the plunger to the action of a spring, and the plunger then strikes the fulminate, exploding the bursting charge.

As numerous trials have shown, this fuse possesses particularly great sensit-iveness. That this is so, can beunderstood from the fact that, in consequence of the arched surface of the hooda', the contact point of the hood a with the balloon-cover on striking, is always situated comparatively near the center of'the shaft- A and that consequently the direction of the force acting at this point always nearly coincides with the direction of the movement of the shaft A so that any lateral pressure on the shaft in its bearing can hardly occur. A fuse of this kind, with a large front surface to its light moving fuse part, will, besides, offer considerably greater resistance (when hitting a mark as easily penetrated as the cover of a balloon) than would an ordinary fuse, in which the surface of the light moving parts act after the manner of a knife edge in striking. The particular advantage is further obtained through the arrangement of the openings a so that the air-pressure on the cap a, during the flight of the projectile, is diminished and, as a consequence, the resistance -of the cheek brake on the shaft A can be kept smaller, whereby the sensitiveness of the fuse will be still more increased. The circumstance, that the apertures 64 are situated doubtless diminished, as in jectile.

balloon, is notdiminished by the arrange: ment of the apertures. For, if instead .of arranging the apertures (a entirely inside the circumference of the dome a cuts would be arranged on the rim. of the dome, the resistance opposed to the penetration of the dome by the cover of theballoon, would be this case edges would arise on the rim of the dome, which edges would act more or less in the manner of a knife edge, when striking the cover. v

I claim 1. A percussion fuse for projectiles comprising a substantially easily protruding beyond the outer limiting surface of the fuse body and adapted to effect ignition, and a safety-device preventing movement of said part by the ac of the tlOIl inertia on firing, said device being adapted to be automatically released when the projet-tile commences its flight, and a contacting domed cap on the outer end of said movable part, the profile of said dome being such as to transmit a-practically axial thrust to said part on impact between any portion of the domes surface with the target, said dome being provided with a plurality of apertures situated entirely inside the circumference .ofsaid cap to permit of free passage of air during the flight of the profuse for air ship pro- 2. In a percussion actuated ignition jectiles having a spring hammer, levers for said hammer, ing the hammer from hitting the primer; of an axially movable member normally holding said levers locked to the hammer;

movable part; i

the combination with checking normally restrain impact releaslng said levers, which actuated by the centrifugal force release the hammer y swinging ut, he hamm r act te y its spring subsequently firing the primer.

3. In a percussion fuse for air ship prohammer, the combination with checking levers for said hammer, normally restraining the hammer from hitting the primer; of an axially movable shaft normally holding said levers locked to the hammer and protruding beyond the front portion of the fuse body; an external mushroom shaped head on said shaft adapted to produce a substantially axial thrust on shaft on impact at any angle; perforations in said head allowing free passage of air during flight; said levers actuated by the centrifugal force during flight frictionally holding I said shaft in its forward position; said shaft on impact releasing said levers which again actuated by the centrifugal force, swing l out to release the hammer, the primer being subsequently fired by the hammer actuated. \"by its spring.

The foregoing specification signed at Barmen, Germany, this 20th day of September,

KARL WIESER. [11. s.] v In presence of ALFRED HENKEL, WALTER VANNEQUT.

gectiles having a spring actuated ignition 

